Today we start a national week of action called ‘The Big Boost’ where we’re making it as easy as possible to get your booster, with pop-up vaccination centres and extended opening hours.

A booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine provides a higher level of protection against severe disease or hospitalisation from the Omicron variant than the two-dose course. Being fully vaccinated with two shots provides great protection against Delta, but boosters are the best way to fight Omicron.

If you are 18 years or older and had your second vaccination at least three months ago, get your booster as soon as you can. Find a centre near you by visiting BookMyVaccine.nz or calling the Covid Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 for a whānau booking.

All DHBs have now fully vaccinated 90% of their Pacific communities, with Whanganui reaching the milestone yesterday.

Advocates, church groups, health providers and countless other entities across the motu have led the way in ensuring that our Pacific populations have some of the highest vaccination rates in the country.

Anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be COVID-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.

The most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. Even if you develop a small sniffle, please get a test. 

COVID-19 vaccine update

• Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,048,992 first doses (96%); 3,975,822 second doses (94%); 1,666,710 booster doses (53%)
• Vaccines administered yesterday: 812 first doses; 1,772 second doses; 2,209 paediatric doses; 60,537 booster doses. 
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 514,941 first doses (90%); 490,069 second doses (86%).
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 278,404 first doses (97%); 271,043 second doses (95%). 
• Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 202,783 first doses (43%) 
• Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 27,819 (first doses (24%) 
• Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 16,278 first doses (33%) 

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)

• Northland DHB: First doses (89.9%); second doses (87%) 
• Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (96%) 
• Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%) 
• Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%) 
• Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%) 
• MidCentral DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (95%) 
• Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89.9%) 
• Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89.7%) 
• Hawke’s Bay: First doses (97%); second doses (94%) 
• Taranaki DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%) 
• Wairarapa DHB: First doses (96%); second doses (95%) 
• Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (97%) 
• Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%) 
• Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%) 
• West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%) 
• Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%) 
• South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (94%) 
• Southern DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%) 

Hospitalisations

• Cases in hospital: 16; North Shore: 4; Middlemore: 7; Auckland: 2; Bay of Plenty: 1; Rotorua: 2; Christchurch: 1
• Average age of current hospitalisations: 59
• Cases in ICU or HDU): 0
• Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (1 case / 7.7%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 cases / 7.7%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases 69.2%); Unknown (2 cases/ 15.4%)

Cases

• Seven day rolling average of community cases: 194
• Seven day rolling average of border cases: 38
• Number of new community cases: 204
• Number of new cases identified at the border: 46
• Location of new community cases: Northland (8), Auckland (135), Waikato (35), Lakes (2), Bay of Plenty (11),Taranaki (1), MidCentral (2) Wellington (3), Hutt Valley (3), Nelson Marlborough (1), Canterbury (3)
• Number of community cases (total): 13,671 (in current community outbreaks) 
• Cases epidemiologically linked (total): 9875
• Number of active cases (total): 2,209 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
• Confirmed cases (total): 18,126

Contacts 

• Number of active contacts being managed (total): 5,529
• Percentage who has received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements): 75% 
• Percentage who has returned at least one result: 68% 

Tests

• Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 15,972
• Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,083
• Auckland tests total (last 24 hours): 6,962

Wastewater

• No unusual detections to report. 

NZ COVID Tracer

• Poster scans in the 24 hours to midday yesterday: 1,542,083
• Manual diary entries in the 24 hours to midday:  43,003

My Vaccine Pass

• Total issued to date: 5,082,686
• Total yesterday: 7,554